Rangers fans have reacted after the club finally confirmed that the second leg Europa League last 16 fixture against Bayer Leverkusen will be played behind closed doors [Rangers FC Facebook].
The German club had tweeted on Tuesday evening to state that both that game and their upcoming trip to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga would take place behind closed doors.
However, there had been some confusion surrounding the matter, with the Rangers SLO tweeting last night to assert that neither Leverkusen nor UEFA had confirmed any such decision to Rangers.
This official update by the club states that confirmation from the governing body has since been received.
It then goes on to add:
“Rangers regrets that supporters will have made travel arrangements but warnings and advice about coronavirus must be followed.”
“The German authorities believe this is the correct course of action and Rangers respects their decision not to allow fans into the stadium.”
The primary concern for all the decision-makers here clearly has to be the safety of the players, staff and the general public. Therefore, the move is not a huge surprise.
With the fixture just over a week away, those who intended to travel now face a dilemma. They can either go regardless or stay at home and attempt to recoup some of the money shelled out in advance on flights and accommodation.
For many, that process would have begun in earnest following Leverkusen’s update on Wednesday night, though, so rather than expressing disappointment, the majority of Bears who responded to the statement instead opted to feign surprise.
Here’s a selection of reactions:
https://twitter.com/Cjnovo992/status/1237776353723846656
